What did you do today?

[highup]

You think this guy could cove vinyl?
.....no, I wouldn't want him to either.
He's making 10 times more $$$ with his day job.

 

[Floorist]

I wonder if Zanne is being evacuated?

 

[zannej]

Rusty, thus far we have not had any recommendations for evacuation. They are shutting down government offices in the area and it looks like we're on the outer edge of the storm path (but it's not clear if it is a high wind part of the storm).
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/storm-tracker-follow-ida-s-path-n1277787Half of my parish (the half that I'm in) is in the purple/blue area on the left. Problem is, I'm in a low population parish. The town of Alexandria (northeast of us) has a higher population that my entire parish. So we are low priority when it comes to news/info. But we are under "preparedness warning".

Skies are cloudy right now and I expect we'll get hit with rain and lose power hours before the storm hits our area. My power company blows so I the power goes out very easily.

Even if we were told to evacuate, by now it's pretty much too late because there's nowhere to go. The bigger towns that evacuated will have taken all the hotel rooms and drained the gas stations of gas. I'm about to go out and check the bird situation. The birds tend to flee when danger is coming so if there are still birds it's more likely to be safe.

I still remember when a major supertyphoon was coming toward Guam. Internet was more primitive then and we were not forewarned. I was with my father hiking and we went to a beach where we saw the hermit crabs climbing trees. Poor things were trying to reach higher ground because they sensed the storm coming. Storm brought some Tsunamis that went up 200ft and smashed houses at the top of a 100ft cliff. My cats were also freaking out before Paka (the supertyphoon) hit. Fortunately our housing was built during WWII and was designed to withstand air raids/bombs.

 

[C.J.]

Took my van in for an oil change today. I was told the drain plug was stuck and removing it would ruin the oil pan. Then I was quoted $1300 to replace the oil pan. I laughed at them then left. Went home and grabbed a wrench and checked the plug. It turned freely so then I went to auto zone and bought all the crap to change my own oil along with a new oil drain plug. Went to a park down the street and changed my own oil cus I’m sure the HOA here frowns on working on vehicles in your own driveway.

There must be some kind of thing with mechanics and oil pans and trying to milk people for money. The wife had a similar situation with the oil drain plug on her car a couple years ago. The plug was legitimately stuck in the pan. We were quoted $900 to change out the oil pan. Again I told them to Frick Off. Ordered a new oil pan and some gasket sealer for under $100 and changed it out myself with a buddy and a couple beers in an afternoon

 

[Mark Brown]

I have had many a drain plug get stuck, I just unstick them, bore and thread a new hole and get myself another 2 dollar bolt. Flush the oil and magnetize the pan and voila.

 

[C.J.]

That was my thought. If they were real mechanics then that shouldn’t have been an issue. Installing a time sert or using a thread chaser at the very least should be just another day at work for a professional. It’s not like I go to jiffy lube or some place like that.

 

[Floorist]

Took my van in for an oil change today. I was told the drain plug was stuck and removing it would ruin the oil pan. Then I was quoted $1300 to replace the oil pan. I laughed at them then left. Went home and grabbed a wrench and checked the plug. It turned freely so then I went to auto zone and bought all the crap to change my own oil along with a new oil drain plug. Went to a park down the street and changed my own oil cus I’m sure the HOA here frowns on working on vehicles in your own driveway.

There must be some kind of thing with mechanics and oil pans and trying to milk people for money. The wife had a similar situation with the oil drain plug on her car a couple years ago. The plug was legitimately stuck in the pan. We were quoted $900 to change out the oil pan. Again I told them to Frick Off. Ordered a new oil pan and some gasket sealer for under $100 and changed it out myself with a buddy and a couple beers in an afternoon

Don't know where you took it but Walmart puts a blue sealer on them just in case they stripped it. I would not let them touch one of mine.

 

[Floorist]

Rusty, thus far we have not had any recommendations for evacuation. They are shutting down government offices in the area and it looks like we're on the outer edge of the storm path (but it's not clear if it is a high wind part of the storm).
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/storm-tracker-follow-ida-s-path-n1277787Half of my parish (the half that I'm in) is in the purple/blue area on the left. Problem is, I'm in a low population parish. The town of Alexandria (northeast of us) has a higher population that my entire parish. So we are low priority when it comes to news/info. But we are under "preparedness warning".

Skies are cloudy right now and I expect we'll get hit with rain and lose power hours before the storm hits our area. My power company blows so I the power goes out very easily.

Even if we were told to evacuate, by now it's pretty much too late because there's nowhere to go. The bigger towns that evacuated will have taken all the hotel rooms and drained the gas stations of gas. I'm about to go out and check the bird situation. The birds tend to flee when danger is coming so if there are still birds it's more likely to be safe.

I still remember when a major supertyphoon was coming toward Guam. Internet was more primitive then and we were not forewarned. I was with my father hiking and we went to a beach where we saw the hermit crabs climbing trees. Poor things were trying to reach higher ground because they sensed the storm coming. Storm brought some Tsunamis that went up 200ft and smashed houses at the top of a 100ft cliff. My cats were also freaking out before Paka (the supertyphoon) hit. Fortunately our housing was built during WWII and was designed to withstand air raids/bombs.

Be careful. Looks like the path is moving west.

 

[C.J.]

NTB was where I was taking it and there was some blue sealer on it. I made it work without any sealer or a new oil pan so maybe I’m back to doing my own oil changes again.

 

[Floorist]

NTB was where I was taking it and there was some blue sealer on it. I made it work without any sealer or a new oil pan so maybe I’m back to doing my own oil changes again.

Back in another life time, I did oil changes for 5 years for a living. We never used any sealer. And I fixed several that the consumer had stripped.
I started floor installations part time, evenings and weekends, in 1973. Went full time in 1983.
Pretty much retired 5 years ago.

 

[Floorist]

I worked in a combine factory welding from 1978 to 1982, When that place folded, I was offered a full time job installing and did it from then on.

 

[Floorist]

Be careful. Looks like the path is moving west.

They are saying west of Lake Charles now.

 

[Mark Brown]

wtf do you need thread lock on a oil pan drain plug for. Its supposed to leak, that way you always toppin' up with fresh oil

 

[C.J.]

wtf do you need thread lock on a oil pan drain plug for. Its supposed to leak, that way you always toppin' up with fresh oil

I pay to make sure I don’t have a leaky vehicle

 

[Mark Brown]

pffft, thats just crazy talk man.

 

[Floorist]

My 1994 E 150 has 230,000 miles and I would not be afraid to cross the country in it. Doesn't get driven much now, I drive one of the cars mostly.

 

[Mark Brown]

I have driven across Canada coast to coast in

87 Toyota Tercel with 350Km on it
86 Hyundai Stellar 350km
95 dodge neon with 240 km
92 Honda civic with 330km on it
07 elantra with 228 km on it

A few of those cars when back and forth a few times and the only one to ever give me trouble was the stellar. I lost hub, spindle and bearing.

I'll drive anything across the country

For the record, we are talking coast to coast in Canada and for anyone who has never done that it is 5800 kilometers. The fastest i ever did it was in 68 hours.

I think I have done that drive ten times I think.....

 

[Floorist]

Got clocked at 139 mph once and we had already started slowing down. 68 Plymouth GTX, speedometer only went to 120.

 

[C.J.]

I’ve driven across the US a few times in my van as well as living in NC and working in PA for a few years. How do you think I put so many miles on my van. I worked for a guy years ago that ruined 2 or 3 driveways with his box van and I’ve seen him pay to have the concrete jack hammered up and repoured. Had a roommate that had a leaker that left a nice sized stain in the street in front of our house. The landlord blamed it on my van simply because I had an older van so it just had to be my fault. So yeah, I pay to make sure I don’t have a leaker.

I’ve had many, sooo many, tickets through the years but never got one in any of my vans.

 

[highup]

I have driven across Canada coast to coast in

87 Toyota Tercel with 350Km on it
86 Hyundai Stellar 350km
95 dodge neon with 240 km
92 Honda civic with 330km on it
07 elantra with 228 km on it

A few of those cars when back and forth a few times and the only one to ever give me trouble was the stellar. I lost hub, spindle and bearing.

I'll drive anything across the country

For the record, we are talking coast to coast in Canada and for anyone who has never done that it is 5800 kilometers. The fastest i ever did it was in 68 hours.

I think I have done that drive ten times I think.....

Why would you do that? Are you afraid of trains?